Visit Puerto Rico, the All-Star Island

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puerto Rico, The All-Star Island. All opinions are 100% mine.

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I’m excited to write about Puerto Rico today! Have you been? I’ve visited there twice, and loved each trip so much, that my life wish list includes buying a timeshare there. In fact, when my brother gave me a list of possible honeymoon locations he was considering, I immediately recommended Puerto Rico (he’s taking my advice!).

What I like about Puerto Rico the most is experiencing a Caribbean paradise and island culture, without needing a passport or foreign currency. Just hop on a plane and go visit world-class attractions. Beach, forest, cavern, or city, you’ll find it here. Live your own 5-star vacation story in Puerto Rico.

Did you know that Puerto Rico has 270 miles of coastline? The Travel Channel has even featured Puerto Rico in its list of the Top 10 Beaches. Specifically, Flamenco Beach is often cited as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

At night, visit the Bioluminescent Bay by boat or kayak and watch as beautiful micro-organisms light up the water around you.

El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rain forest under the U.S. Forest Service. There are 24 miles of recreational hiking trails in El Yunque, including the popular La Mina Trail and the El Yunque trail. The first takes you to a gorgeous waterfall and pool you can swim in, and the second takes you to the Dwarf Forest. I haven’t made it up there, but I’ve been told it’s so high, that there are clouds around you.

Here’s my dad and I on the La Mina Trail, during my first visit to Puerto Rico. Hiking this trail is a good workout!

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If you’re a more adventurous type, you may love the caverns in Camuy. The world’s third largest subterranean river runs through them.

Are you a history buff? If so, you absolutely must visit Old San Juan! The forts there are several hundred years old and massive. The battlements have been designated not only a National Historic Landmark, but also a World Heritage Site.

Here I am at one of the forts. See how high those walls are?!

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Outside the forts, the city and streets themselves have gorgeous, old, historic structures. It’s not uncommon to walk down a cobblestone street and have each house you pass painted in a different, vibrant color. San Juan is truly a colorful city.

And never fear…they have a Starbucks!

The authentic Puerto Rican food is amazing. My favorites include fried plantains, pastelillo (like an empanada), and rice and beans. If you enjoy seafood, try the fresh-caught fish. I’ve also heard the local rum is good, but as I’m not a drinker, I couldn’t say for sure!

Learn more- Like SeePuertoRico.com on Facebook and Follow @PRTourismCo on Twitter.

Tell me, why would you like to visit Puerto Rico?

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Too busy to cook? Try a Holiday To-Go from Piccadilly Restaurants

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Piccadilly Restaurants. All opinions are 100% mine.

My two favorite things about this time of year are spending time with family I don't normally get to see, and the food!

Oh, the food… Although I'd happily eat scores of cured ham, pudding, cookies, and decadent desserts year round; the fall and winter holidays are the only times I don't really feel that guilty for eating them.

Whether I'm cooking an entire meal (or most of it) for family or just a dish to share, I'm always stressed out. Is it going to be done on time? What if I mess up? Is anyone going to eat it?

Wouldn't it be nice if your holiday dinner would just magically appear, already prepared? You could spend time with loved ones instead of in a hot, cramped kitchen for hours on end.

With Piccadilly's Holiday To-Go Feasts, this is completely possible! 

The Holiday Feast feeds 10-14 people and costs $54.99 for turkey or ham. The Junior Feast is enough for 4-6 people and priced at $29.99 for turkey or $25.99 for ham. Sides and desserts are available à la carte, so you can pick and choose exactly what you're looking for.

Piccadilly Restaurants, first opened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, are known for their homestyle comfort foods. Fried chicken, casseroles, crawfish, carrot souffle, fried okra, and so much more. They have a lot to offer!

Gift Cards are also available from Piccadilly Restaurants. What's great is for every $50 you spend on gift cards at Piccadilly from now until Dec. 31, 2013, you'll receive a $10 savings card! That savings card can be used towards a Piccadilly purchase from January 1 through January 31, 2014 (at participating restaurants).

To learn more about Piccadilly as well as their Holiday To-Go Feasts, like Piccadilly Restaurants on Facebook and follow @EatPiccadilly on Twitter.

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Pumpkin Cranberry Cake- A Holiday Favorite #CartonSmart

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carton Smart. All opinions are 100% mine.

Halloween might be over with, but it is still pumpkin season! To me, Thanksgiving and Christmas (all the fall and winter holidays) are synonymous with apples, squash, cranberries, and pumpkin. They all go so great together.

With these ingredients, it's easy to whip up either a Harvest Soup or fresh Harvest Muffins. The bonus is you're packing veggies into a tasty dish or treat.

I took the pumpkin cake recipe that is popular in our household (I blogged it last year) and jazzed it up by incorporating cranberry. It's delicious! This cake tastes good with or without frosting; it's light, fluffy, and moist.

Ingredients:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup of Pacific Foods organic jellied cranberry sauce
  • 1 carton(16 ounces) Pacific Foods organic pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the pumpkin, cranberry sauce, sugar, eggs, and oil together. Add your dry ingredients and mix it all together.

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Spoon or pour the mixture into a greased 9×13 cake pan. Bake until set in the middle (30 minutes roughly). Simple, isn't it?

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If you decide to frost your cake, it tastes great with a cream cheese frosting!

I received both the cranberry sauce and pumpkin puree, as well as organic unsalted chicken stock, from Pacific Foods.

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Have you heard about carton packaging? Many foods that we commonly eat today are filled with preservatives to keep the food shelf-safe, but the Tetra Pack storing process eliminates the need for preservatives. I've blogged before about shelf-stable carton milk and why I think it's awesome to have on hand, especially having a toddler.

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On a side note, I loved that the chicken stock was unsalted! I do make my own chicken stock, but quite often I just don't have enough space to store any in the fridge or freezer, so I end up buying some from the store that's shelf-stable. The best I've seen at my closest grocery store was "low-sodium." I was thrilled to find out from the Pacific Foods website that several grocery stores within 10 minutes of me do carry their brand.

This holiday season, I plan to be Carton Smart specifically by using ingredients stored in cartons for my recipes. But any way you can produce great tasting food with little waste is definitely "smart!"

Follow this link to Become Carton Smart. You can also Tweet @CartonSmart and Follow #CartonSmart on Pinterest to learn more about the process.

How can you be #CartonSmart this holiday season?

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